The present invention relates to an electrical connector that is accessible along two intersecting sides for receiving electrical contacts of a mating electrical connector and more particularly to an electrical connector incorporating improved electrical contacts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,883 issued to Davis on Sep. 3, 1996 discloses an electrical connector having an insulative housing, at least one contact receiving cavity defined in the housing and an electrical contact received in each cavity. The contact receiving cavity has a first cavity portion for receiving the contact and a second cavity portion for receiving a mating contact of a mating connector. A first channel, which has a stepped width defining a groove and a shoulder, is formed along a top edge of the first cavity portion. The electrical contact is of unitary construction, stamped and formed from a strip or blank of thin metal and has a thickness plane defined by the blank. A contact portion of the electrical contact extends either forwardly or diagonally from a front edge thereof and provides a cantilevered resilient spring. The contact portion has a tip which remains within the first channel behind the shoulder and is protected from being struck by the mating contact to be received in the second cavity portion. The tip of the contact portion remains within the first channel behind the shoulder which enables the tip to be resiliently deflected by a surface within the cavity to apply a spring bias, called a preload, to the contact portion. In addition, barbs are formed on both top and bottom edges of the contact for being anchored in the insulating housing.
According to the design of Davis '883 patent, since both top and bottom edges of the contact are stationarily anchored in the housing, an engaging force applied by the contact portion to the mating contact exists from the moment the mating contact begins to engage with the contact portion. This will create an immediate resistance to the mating contact such that a user must exert an abrupt increase of force during insertion of the mating contact. Similarly, an abrupt change in the engaging force may also occur during withdrawal of the mating contact.
The present invention aims to provide an improved electrical connector which permits a smooth insertion of a mating contact.